International students on an F-1 or J-1 visa are eligible to be employed in regular on-campus student payroll positions.

On-Campus Employment

Work study positions (campus employment that is funded by the state or federal government) are restricted to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. Most positions on campus are not work study, and many international students are able to successfully find a regular student payroll position.

Full Time Enrollment Status

All international students on an F-1 or J-1 visa who are interested in working on campus must maintain their immigration status and full-time enrollment during the fall and spring terms (summer session enrollment is not required):

  • For graduate students: Full-time enrollment is 9 semester hours, or 6 semester hours plus a graduate assistantship.
  • For undergraduates students: Full-time enrollment is 12 semester hours.

Maximum Earnings

Please note that the maximum pay an international student can earn on campus is currently around $700 per month. Getting hired for an on-campus job is not guaranteed; nor are a minimum number of work hours guaranteed, once hired.

During school terms, students can work up to 20 hours a week. This includes graduate assistantships. (If you are employed in more than one on-campus location, the combined total number of hours needs to be 20 or fewer. For example: 10 hours a week working for Aramark and 10 hours a week working for the Admissions office–not 10 Aramark hours and 15 in Admissions). Each department has their own budget and they will be determining how many hours that you will be working for their area. During breaks (spring, summer, winter), you may work up to 40 hours (all jobs, combined) per week.

Finding a Job

This is information about working on-campus. Handshake is the primary source for finding an on-campus job. You may also inquire directly with an office or a department and ask if they are hiring. In addition, the food service for BSU (Aramark) and the Bemidji State University bookstore are other on-campus areas where you can work. To work for Aramark, go to the Aramark website and look for “Student Worker” positions.

Accepting a Job

BSU campus student workers (any place on campus that’s not Aramark food service or the BSU bookstore):

Congratulations on your new job at BSU! Please carefully read the following instructions; all steps must be completed before you can begin working.

If your new job is with *Aramark* or the *BSU Bookstore* you will be working with their own employment office — not the BSU Student Payroll office. See the different steps for those, further down on this page:

  1. Please email your complete current local address to international@bemidjistate.edu.
  2. You will need a U.S. social security card in order to begin work.
  3. The first step is to ensure you have all documents necessary to bring to the local Social Security office interview when you apply for your SS card.

Documents required:

  • Passport
  • I-20
  • SS-5 form “Application for a Social Security Card” Please note that it’s available in a fillable form, as well. It’s suggested you complete most or all of this online application before you go to the Social Security office.
  • Your most recent I-94 (not a requirement, per the SS-5 form, but is recommended as “Evidence of Immigration Status”). Print your most recent I-94. You will need to have your passport information to retrieve your I-94.
  • BSU Letter/form letter: After you’ve secured a job, obtain a blank letter (printed on BSU letterhead) from the BSU student employment office. Bring that letter to the person who will be your work supervisor (they fill in the information regarding type of employment, supervisor’s name, etc.) validating your hire. Then the letter needs to be returned to the BSU student employment office for final signature. Please scan and email that document to our office international@bemidjistate.edu Or, you may bring it to our office M-F between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Once we’ve verified your full-time student status, current local address, etc., we will prepare your IPC verification letter which you’ll bring with you to the SS office (next bullet point).
  • IPC verification letter signed by the IPC Director, given to you by our office. You can print this out (preferably in color; if not color, black and white is OK) or email or call our office and make arrangements to pick up the paper copy. This letter verifies to the SS office that you are an in-status, fully-enrolled international student.

You must bring the original hiring-related documents (not a copy) with you when you go to the Social Security office.

Only after you have all of the items listed above . . .

  1. Visit the Social Security office in Bemidji located at 2900 Hannah Avenue NW, Bemidji. (The office is near WalMart and Affinity Credit Union’s main branch). They are open 9am-4pm Monday-Friday. For questions, call them at 866-258-6345.
  2. Once you receive your social security card (required before you begin working) in the mail (this may take up to two weeks), you will need to bring the original social security card along with your I-20, I-94 and Passport to the Student Employment office (Cashier’s Desk) in Deputy 202. Window hours are M-F, 9:30am-3pm. This will be the final step to complete the BSU student payroll paperwork necessary to get your student employment information entered in the BSU payroll system.
  3. Once you receive your U.S. social security number/card, please commit the number to memory: keep your card in a secure place and don’t carry the card with you. Read about identify theft.

Aramark or BSU Bookstore Student Workers

  1. Please email your complete current local address to international@bemidjistate.edu.
  2. You will need to have gone to the SS office and received a receipt showing you’ve applied for your U.S. social security card in order to begin work.
  3. The first step is to ensure you have all documents necessary to bring to the local Social Security office interview when you apply for your SS card.

Documents required:

  • Passport
  • I-20
  • SS-5 form “Application for a Social Security Card” Please note that it’s available in a fillable form, as well. We recommend you complete most or all of this form online before going to the office.
  • Your most recent I-94 (not a requirement, per the SS-5 form, but is recommended as “Evidence of Immigration Status”). Print your most recent I-94.
  • Please scan and email the form letter you received from Aramark or the BSU Bookstore to our office international@bemidjistate.edu Or, you may bring it to our office M-F between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Once we’ve verified your full-time student status, current local address, etc., we will prepare your IPC verification letter.
  • IPC verification letter signed by the IPC Director, given to you by our office. You can print this out (preferably in color; if not color, black and white is OK) or email or call our office and make arrangements to pick up the paper copy. This letter verifies to the SS office that you are an in-status, fully-enrolled international student.
  • You must bring the original hiring-related documents (not a copy) with you when you go to the Social Security office.

Only after you have all of the items listed above . . .

  1. Visit the Social Security office in Bemidji located at 2900 Hannah Avenue NW, Bemidji. (The office is near WalMart and Affinity Credit Union’s main branch). They are open 9am-4pm Monday-Friday. For questions, call them at 866-258-6345.
  2. After your appointment, please work directly with Aramark/the BSU bookstore to complete your hiring process. They will need the receipt given to you by the Social Security office at the time you applied for your SS number.
  3. Once you receive your U.S. social security number/card, please commit the number to memory: keep your card in a secure place and don’t carry the card with you. Read about identify theft.

Best wishes for a smooth process! Let us know if you have questions. Enjoy your new job!

Timesheets & Payment

You will complete and submit your time sheet electronically for supervisor approval, once every two weeks. Ask your direct supervisor if you have questions.

Payday is the Friday of the following week after time sheets are due. Direct deposit of your paycheck into your personal bank account is strongly encouraged.

The student wage rate currently starts at $12.50 USD/hour (minimum) and goes up incrementally depending on the total number of hours worked.

Contact

Student Employment Office
(218) 755-2859
Deputy 202